WOYWW 143 & Three Kind Mice

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday?

Well ... a Wonderful Whirl Wind of Wonder, Winding and Weaving the World, Watching Wayward and Whimsical Workdesks 

courtesy of the ingenuity of Julia via her blog Stamping Ground so Wend your Way there and share this Wednesday With us.

Now I know you may remark that at last there's a mess on my desk since the big clean up but it's only work in progress as I am prepping a workshop for Saturday. I'm standing in for WOYWER Carol who has had quite a dreadful time recently with her son in hospital due to a brain haemorrage. I'm glad to say that he's now home and recovering and would like to wish him well.

My hyacinth is hanging on longer than I anticipated.

I thought that I'd finished my Three Kind Mice which, as I mentioned last week, are made from the shrunken felted baby suit of my Fraulein Grandee. I showed them to her yesterday when we were skyping and she sang Three Blind Mice for me. When she reached the point when the farmer's wife "cut off their tails with a carving knife", I realised, panic, panic, that my Three Kind Mice didn't even have tails to cut off!! I'd forgotten to make them any!!! Back to the sewing machine!

Yesterday I visited the little town of Ormskirk and the Chapel Gallery.

We went in for coffee and chanced upon this great exhibition called....

Really fun creations mainly made from recycled materials really did make me SMILE!.

....Most were mobile in some way....

This was my favourite piece, but it was sad that it had been damaged by the public trying out it's mechanics, and was in the process of repair.

This busker, in Ormskirk, entertained passers by in the town but the two old dears behind him were oblivious of his talents. He was really good, playing great music, Bob Marley, Rock, and everything bar the usual buskers medleys. Note the traditional Lancashire Clogs! 

Watch out, I'll be visiting ..... so see ya'll around the desks!

WOYWW 142, Mice & Prize Winners

It's Mercredi, Mittwoch, Miercoles, Wednesday...but to us it's WOYWW... 

What's On Your Wordesk Wednesday....

when the fickle and fantastic of the crafting world show their desks and what they they are creating. All will be revealed in grand detail by popping over to the blog of our illustrious leader Julia, that's stamping ground just incase you don't already know.

Here on my desk I'm in the process of starting several new projects with their first coat of gesso. On the left is my precious note book, retrieved after leaving it on the plane last week. I had to go back to Manchester airport and it is worth every penny of the petrol, parking, and the £5 they charged me to get back all the info and ideas within this treasure. It goes everywhere with me.

  The large letter A and No2 are to be altered for the second birthday of my youngest grandee in Brighton. The mini printers tray is a secret to be revealed..........

My lovely hyacinth has just about had it and is at the stage when it's beautiful fragrance is turning sickly. Hate to relegate it to the garden until it has really faded.

The plastic eggs in the bag to the right will be marbled for Easter decorations, not long to go.

My TABLE is staying reasonably tidy so, to all those cynics, ner ner, ner, ner,ner!!!

I have almost no room left in my file drawers for any more ribbons so I came up with this master plan...It FAILED miserably as the rod bent with the weight so it's coming down. Back to the drawing board!

I've been buying Mollie Makes magazines to share with my DD who, I'm pleased to say, has started to do a bit of crafting, and I love these politically correct "Three Kind Mice" in the new issue. 
DD gave me a pure wool, new born sized, baby suit of my grandee which shrunk in the wash, but turned into excellent felt, which she couldn't bare to throw it away so here it is transformed! Three cute keepsakes! Just got to get them dressed and knit some tiny cardigans.

Scarf Candy Winner

Thanks to all who entered and I have drawn from all the names of those who'd like to have it........and the winner..............is......

May of mayshappydaze.blogspot.com

May you wear it with luck May and please email me so I can get your postal details.

The Mystery Item

Here's my pic of the mystery item. This is the trophy I won in an Embroiderer's Guild annual competition some 20 years ago, but as I had to return it the next year, I kept a photo of it for posterity and as a memento.

It is antique, solid silver and would have been very useful before sewing machines were invented. I could use one even today as a third hand when I'm hand sewing.

Some more examples from the web

The bird is a clamp to hold fabric when hemming long length of fine linen, hence the usual title of

"Hemming Bird"

There is a handy little pin cushion on top.

Well the only person who got it right is Ann of anniestamper.blogspot.com 

Well done Ann, who well deserves the little prize I'm sending her as she emailed me privately with the answer and told me that she spent ages researching on the web.

Birthday Tag & Scarf Candy

My special friend Jayne had her birthday on Valentines Day and last night a group of us went to an Indian restaurant for a celebration meal. Good food and good company, so a great night out. 

Happy Birthday Jayne, you looked fabulous!

 I was so stuck for a gift for Jayne and, having looked for weeks for something special I decided that we would give her a day out as a treat instead of a wrapped parcel so made this tag as our invitation.

The images are from the new plate of stamps I bought, last week in Germany, which I think are a good price. I'm not a fan of clear stamps but they are cheap and I don't have many flower images and these looked a bit quirky. I like the varying sizes which layer to make 3D flowers but boy, they were hard to get off the backing for the first time!!! Anyone have any tips for this?

 BLOG CANDY 

Already quite a few entrants for the draw for this scarf/shawlette. It's made from Japanese Noro silk, wool, a quality yarn, which is so lovely to wear and I find, whilst usually I cannot wear wool next to my skin, this yarn does not itch my neck at all.

It's now finished, beaded and tasselled, so I'll leave the final draw open incase there are any more interested and will announce the winner on Wednesday next.....22nd February.

I'd love it to go to one of my blog's regular visitors so just leave a comment stating you'd like to go in the draw and we'll see who wins.

The sun is shining, clear blue sky so I'm going to venture out to make the most of it and no doubt it will be freezing tonight! Have a good weekend!

WOYWW 141 & Back from Germany

WOYWW 141 and, as I've been away in Germany, my desk is almost the same as last week but my hyacinth  has sprouted and is now propped up by a bottle of glue. This space definitely needs some serious crafting to happen very soon before we all get bored of seeing it as it is. 

To see many, more exciting desks, Julia is the super global co-ordinator of the desks of the world at her stamping ground blog.

 Visit to Germany

I arrived last week in Hamburg airport and took a taxi to the city to meet up with my SIL but, before he drove us home, I visited the new super modern building where his firm has relocated.

Here's the evening view from 5 floors up...

We had coffee in the amazing staff cafe where all the furniture, lights, and fittings, came from their old building and are from the 1970s.

There are some  scary, high views from the balconies and those 3 "discs" are tables and chairs in the reception area at the base of the lifts.

It was so lovely to spend quality time with this precious little one and here she is in the tutu I made for her to go with Angelina Ballerina. As usual, I always feel really sad and miserable to leave them which is even worse when I get home and here you'll understand exactly why!

We did all the important things .... tea parties with Baxter and Angelina and.......

feeding the ducks and swans; much needed during the extra cold weather conditions there. There was a hole broken in the ice for them and when we arrived we were mobbed for the food we took. We had to run the gauntlet to retrieve the buggy!

My face shows the fun I enjoyed!

People were bravely skating and walking across the frozen lake.... Not me! In Hamburg the ice on the lake has to be 23cms thick before the public are allowed on it and they expected hundreds of thousands to be out on it skating and having fun last weekend. This local lake had no such restrictions and it was left to the adventurous individuals to risk!

We braved extreme cold to visit the animal farm

 DH was happy to see me when I arrived home and thankfully he was doing so well after his op so I didn't feel too bad at leaving him home alone.

I still managed some crafting over there, including plenty of drawing and chalking with the little one, and I made this Cathedral Window patchwork pin cushion thanks to Lunch Lady Jan's instructions. Thanks Jan!

GIVEAWAY

I also knitted best part of yet another scarf/shawlette and during the journeys I crocheted most of another. 
I'm going to give one of these scarves away to any of my followers and will draw from those who are interested and leave a comment. Just mention that you'd love a chance. They are made in quality silk/wool yarn and you'll find the finished articles in previous posts to see how they look but it will be the multi coloured version in the above picture on offer.
MYSTERY OBJECT from last week....
Only one person has got it right but there have as usual been so many weird suggestions...... keep thinking, keep guessing! All will be revealed soon.

WOYWW 140, Wedding Shoes & Fairy Big Foot

Hop around the crafty desks of the world, for Wednesday fun, over at Julia's stamping -ground blog. Here's mine .... but will the others be tidy or messy?.... you'll have to take a snoop to find out!

My desk will remain tidy and inactive for best part of a week whilst I go to Germany to see family. Last report it was Brrrrrr -16C out there so I've packed my thermals. Don't worry that I'm leaving DH home, post op, as he is doing fine and will be OK with a freezer full of good food, good neighbours and his sister to keep and eye on him. 

WOYWW 144

Those sceptics out there who think I am posting the same pic and not really staying tidy just take note of my hyacinth growing week by week!

I wore these size 4, winkle picker toed, stiletto, satin shoes for my wedding in 1966. Yeah, I know, I know, I am REALLY THAT old! They are staying around my craft room as I've decided to alter them and then give one to each of my two my DDs. I now just need some thoughts and ideas, to help me on my way and I'm sure you can all help with inspiration. Any offers? 

Mystery Item

There's a picture, next to the lantern, at the back of the shoes, of an antique item I was privileged to win many years ago. 

There is a little prize for guessing exactly what it is but if lots of you get it correctly I will draw for the winner.

It took ages last time when I had a wooden hat block as mystery item, so lets see if you can do better with this one.

I thought I had nothing creative to share today until the postie arrived with a big fat parcel. No clue to the sender, but as I unwrapped all the masses of bubble wrap and tissue, here is the surprise I discovered.

Doone (Donna) made this fantabulous, joyful, fairy for me at Christmas, lost it, found it, then forgot to bring it when she visited. Then our planned get together was deferred due to DH's operation so my fairy has been packed really well and trusted to the Royal Mail and arrived safe and well to thrill and surprise me. 

I cannot remember the name Donna gave her, so I've called her Big Foot, the Fallen Fairy, just for now, and she will hang in my craft room all year round. She even carries time on her back in the form of a square watch between her golden wings.

 Like a puppy... this fairy isn't just for Christmas!!!

Thanks so much Donna! She will be treasured, will keep me company and make me happy every time I see her.

Thanks again for all your lovely messages last week, especially those for DH and I really hope I can manage to get around some of your desks whilst I'm away.

Tiny Book & Snowdrops

When I made my mini tin, shown on last Tuesday's post, I played around with other ideas to enclose inside. This was one I rejected but I decided to finish it today as, quite by accident, it turned into a novel little book. It is only approx 2 x 1.5 inches in size but is so cute as the pages overlap and flip alternately as it opens. I decided it was too fiddly to go inside a tin so opted for the concertina book but I'm glad I played around with this one and will have another go at developing it further.

  

THANK YOU!

 We have had so many get well messages since DH had his operation last Wednesday and he has asked me to thank everyone for all the kind thoughts received. 

I am pleased to report that the keyhole surgery to remove his gallbladder last Wedesday was successful, and recovery was really quick, and when he came home the next day he enjoyed a good dinner then slept the night solidly! I write this to reassure anyone who might have to undergo the same procedure in the future. He felt the benefits of the operation immediately, post op discomfort was manageable and not too much pain. 

Croxteth Hall

 Whilst the country suffers snow and severely cold weather we have been fortunate enough today to take a post op constitutional walk, for the patient, in our local Croxteth Hall Park in pleasant sunshine!

Blogging buddy Elizabeth, far North of me in Scotland, reported last week that  her DH went walking to see their local show of snowdrops and was so disappointed that there were none to be seen as they were all finished after flowering early. Aaaah!

Well NOT HERE!!! I didn't want to miss them whilst I am in Germany next week, and panicked to read Elizabeth's post so we hotfooted to see them here........ and our's are not yet in full bloom. I'll just have to go again when I return.

 Don't miss me waving at all those little buds waiting for me!

 I know I'm crazy but I thought this thawing puddle looked like a weather map of England!

I collected some berries and greenery in the park to make an ice sculpture, after the inspiration from DD, and it's outside, but at 5.5C at 7pm here I may have to wait a while!!